


Iron in the Fire

by jackandsamforever



Category: Longmire (TV)
Genre: AUish, Baby Fic, F/M, but not, family fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-21
Updated: 2018-01-22
Packaged: 2018-10-21 23:57:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10685553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jackandsamforever/pseuds/jackandsamforever
Summary: Cady never imagined her life would turn out the way it had, but when a unique opportunity arises, she takes it. Will Jacob support her? Can they build on it?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Longmire fic, so hopefully the characters are enough in-character to make it believable. This is definitely a Jacob/Cady fic, it'll just take a little while to get there. I hope you enjoy, and thanks for reading!

As a child, Cady never imagined her life would turn out the way it had. She had day-dreamed of her handsome future husband and their two little girls with red pigtails and bright blue eyes. They would live in a large house with a backyard that had everything a child could ever want. However, as Cady grew older, that dream diminished to a point where she wasn't sure if she even wanted to have kids; and when her mother died, she lost all interest in finding that perfect, unattainable life.

So when she went to school to become a lawyer and graduated with top honors, she thought she had her life figured out; she would work for a high-powered attorney's office and become a career woman. Her life wouldn't be what she imagined, but this would be just as good now that she knew what life was really about.  
Things happened that were out of her control though, and that “career woman” that she thought she was going to be quickly slipped out of her grasp. First, with moving back to her hometown to “take care” of her dad, then her own near-death experience in a car accident, and finally with Branch's death. She found she no longer loved being a lawyer. She drifted for a while, not really sure what to do. 

It was amazing how things could change so quickly.

Now she found herself working for her father's arch nemesis, Jacob Nighthorse. Jacob was nothing like her father would have her believe; with his constant accusations and unjustified suspicions. She found herself strangely drawn to Nighthorse. He was a powerful man who cared about his people, yet there was a side of him that she couldn't quite figure out. She knew almost nothing about him. He was as mysterious as the sun was bright, which only served to draw her to him even more; and for some reason her childhood day-dreams of a husband and children began showing up in her actual dreams again.

Only the husband in these dreams was one, Jacob Nighthorse. It was terrifying, yet...she didn't want them to stop.

OOOOOO

She'd been working in the free legal aid center for around seven months when she had first learned of Vic's pregnancy. She didn't think much of it, but was a little surprised that Vic had decided to keep it. That was the only thought she gave the baby until she joined her father and Henry (they had made up after Walt rescued him out in the middle of the desert, and they were slowly working on their friendship again) for dinner a month later and learned that Vic had decided to give the baby up for adoption, and that she was looking for someone to adopt it.  
As she laid in bed that night, a sudden realization had hit her so hard that it took her breath away. She wanted to adopt that baby. She wanted to have someone to call her own; someone who would love her unconditionally and call her “mom”. Someone who would never leave her.

It took her a week to work out the particulars relating what she would do with the baby while she worked, but everything seemed to fall into place with ease; almost like it was meant to be. She eventually asked Vic out to lunch, only telling her that she needed to talk to her about something important.  
This was where Cady found herself presently, sitting in a corner booth of the Busy Bee, nervously chewing on a fingernail (a bad habit that she couldn't seem to shake), watching the entrance for any sign of the pregnant woman.

After what seemed like forever, Vic finally pushed through the door, and Cady couldn't help but raise her eyebrows in surprise. Vic was huge, and looked extremely uncomfortable as she searched the small dining area for the red head. Cady waved and gave her a big smile as Vic spotted her and made her way over to the booth. Cady soon realized her mistake in seating, but Vic just grabbed a chair from a nearby table and sat down at the end of the booth. 

She took a deep breath and gave Cady a small smile. “So what was so important that you needed me to drag my fat ass all the way downtown?”

Cady winced a little, but the look on Vic's face quickly dispelled her worry. “You're not fat, you're beautiful.” Vic just gave her one of her sarcastic smiles, and Cady shook her head and laughed. 

“I'm serious. I _am_ sorry for making you come down here, if I'd known you..”

Vic cut her off with a wave of her hand. “Don't worry about it, I needed to get out of the house anyway. I've been going a little stir crazy since I haven't been working for the last month of my pregnancy.”

Cady procrastinated a little longer, asking Vic about how she was feeling and if she'd had any weird cravings. After a lull in the conversation, Vic raised an eyebrow and tilted her head towards Cady in question. “So really, I mean it's great to catch up and all, but what did you need to talk to me about?”

Cady's heart started pounding in her chest. She'd already made the mistake of getting her hopes up, so if Vic told her no, she'd be devastated. Deciding to just come out with it, Cady blurted out, “I want to adopt your baby.”

She audibly heard Vic suck in a breath. “Wow. That was _not_ what I was expecting.”

Cady started babbling, not really listening to what Vic was saying. “I mean I know I'm not married, and I work for Jacob Nighthorse and my dad has a dangerous job, but I really want someone to love. Someone who w-”

Vic stopped her rambling with a hand on her arm. “Cady, stop, I get it. I really do.”

When she didn't say anything further, Cady's heart sank. “I'm guessing you already chose a couple?”

Vic's eyebrows were narrowed in concentration as she made eye contact with Cady. “No, not exactly. I'm-I'm just not sure I want the baby to go to someone who lives in town. I don't know if I want that reminder.”

Cady had an answer for that almost immediately. “How often have we seen each other since you moved out of my house?”

Vic huffed a small laugh. “Not once.” 

Cady took a deep breath. “Look, I know it would probably be weird to think about someone in town raising your baby, least of all your boss' daughter, but would you please just think about it? Like, really think about it?”

Vic nodded and tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear. “I honestly don't have anyone else in mind, I just need time to wrap my mind around what you're asking. Give me a week?”

“Take as much time as you need.” She eyed Vic's stomach and cleared her throat, “Well..I guess not too much time.”

Vic stood up slowly and laid a hand on her forearm. “No matter what I decide, just know that it won't have anything to do with how good of a parent I think you would be. You would be great.”

Cady nodded and tried to smile. “I appreciate you even taking it into consideration.”

They parted ways soon after and Cady knew she should go into the office and get some paperwork done, but there was no way she would be able to concentrate. What she really wanted to do was go talk to Jacob, but he probably wouldn't appreciate her just showing up without calling first. She would do her best to stay busy and not think about a decision that someone else was making that would change her life forever.

OOOOOO

She spent the next week in a mental fog. She tried to work, but it just wasn't happening. She was afraid someone was going to complain to Jacob, but she never heard from him. She never heard from her father or Henry either. She'd told them about her decision before talking to Vic, and her father was, unsurprisingly, less than supportive. She didn't understand why and he gave a couple of lame reasons, but it still hurt. Frankly, she was tired of constantly being let down by him.

Cady was startled out of her thoughts by Mandy barging in her office. “Hey boss, some huge blonde chick is here to see you. Are you busy?”

Cady cringed at the secretary's harsh description of the pregnant woman, but shook her head and told her to send the blonde woman in. Cady stood as Vic just about waddled in and sat down heavily in the chair in front of Cady's desk. “Hey...Vic, can I get you anything?”

Vic shook her head tiredly and seemed to slump further down in the chair. “How about a personal air conditioner? I'm so damn tired of being hot.”

Cady tried not to smile as she picked up some folders in front of her and shuffled them. “I wish I could help you. Would a cold glass of water help?”

Vic closed her eyes and shook her head. “I'll be fine.”

Cady couldn't think of anything to say, so she let the silence stretch out without disturbing the seemingly resting deputy in front of her. She tried not to think about the implications of Vic being there, but it was hard not to with her large stomach practically a wall between the two women.

“Yes. My answer is yes. I want you to be my baby's mother.”

Cady's eyes shot up from her files and filled with tears as she stared dumbfounded at Vic, who still hadn't opened her eyes or moved from her previous position. She tried to say something, but it seemed like all the air had escaped her lungs. She cleared her throat a few times and managed to croak out, “What?” As soon as she said it, she knew it was a stupid thing to say, but she couldn't help it.

Vic opened her eyes and raised an eyebrow at her. “Seriously?”

Cady wiped her eyes distractedly with her fingers and smiled widely. “I'm sorry. I..I'm just surprised is all.” She continued when Vic opened her mouth to interrupt. “Not that I'm not very happy about it.” She took a deep breath. “I'm shocked, but so very happy.”

Vic finally smiled and pushed herself up in the chair a little bit. “Um..good. This hasn't been easy for me, but knowing he or she will be in good hands will go a long way in giving me some peace of mind.”

The deputy pushed herself out of the chair with effort and put a hand over her stomach. “I'm due in two weeks, but it could be anytime. Do you..uh..want me to call you when I go into labor?”

Cady stood and wrung her hands. “Of course, if that's something you're willing to do.” She moved around her desk and stood in front of Vic. “Can I give you a hug?”

Vic snorted quietly. “I'm not really the hugging type, but..sure.”

Cady quickly and carefully pulled Vic into a hug and tried to hold back another urge to cry. She was going to be a mom. It was really happening.

Now she needed to tell Jacob so she could take some time off to be with her new baby. She hoped he would be more supportive than her father.

OOOOOO

Cady found time during the next couple of days to order all the essentials she knew she would need. Since she didn't know the sex of the baby, she waited on ordering any clothes, but everything else that she could buy, she did.  
She kept putting off her phone call to Jacob, although not completely sure of her reasons, she chalked it up to not wanting someone else to be unsupportive of her decision; least of all the man she kinda, maybe had feelings for.

After getting all her work done and everything else that she could do for the baby without actually having the baby, she finally picked up the landline and took a deep breath. She hadn't heard from Jacob in a couple of weeks and she found that she missed him more than was appropriate for an employee to miss their boss. Although..she hadn't thought of him in those terms for a while now, she didn't know how he felt, so she did her very best to keep it strictly professional. Sometimes she wished he was easier to read, which was probably one of the biggest reasons why her father never trusted him, because he gave absolutely nothing away.

She punched in Jacob's cell phone number (which she knew by heart) and listened as it rang three or four times before he answered. “Hello?”

“Hey...Jacob. It's Cady.” She fidgeted with a pen in her fingers, her heart in her throat.

“Cady, it's good to hear from you. How are things going at the office?” He sounded genuinely pleased to hear from her, which went a long way in easing her nerves. 

“Oh, good. Everyone is finding a role around here and things are going well. Couldn't ask for much more, to be honest.” 

“Excellent. That's good to hear." He paused, then continued, "How come I get the feeling that this isn't just a phone call to update me on your work?” She could hear the sounds of slot machines in the background and realized she was probably disturbing him. She would make her excuses and call back later. Although she knew she was taking the coward's way out.

Before she could say anything, her cell phone on the desk chimed that she had a text message. She hardly ever received texts, but since the signal was so spotty on the Rez, texts were the best way to communicate. She absentmindedly glanced at her screen and froze in fear/excitement. The text was from Vic, and all it said was, **It's time**.

“Cady, you there?” He'd evidently walked somewhere quieter, because it was silent on his end.

She broke out of her reverie and cleared her throat. “I'm sorry, Jacob. I'm going to have to cut this conversation short. Um..I'll..I'll call you as soon as I can. I have to go.” She hung up before she could blurt out everything that was going on and hurriedly stuffed her belongings in her bag.

She didn't have time to think about how rude it had been to hang up on Nighthorse, or about the fact that she was about to be a mom within the next day or two. All she could think about was getting to Vic at the hospital.

At the last second, she grabbed the paperwork she'd filed with a local laywer for the adoption and ran out the door.


	2. Chapter 2

Two weeks later found Cady at her house with a screaming baby in her arms. This had been, by far, the hardest two weeks of her life. The baby rarely ever stopped crying, and she felt like a zombie from the lack of sleep.

She was pretty sure she was going insane.

The birth had gone well, and the baby boy, born with blonde hair and long eyelashes, was perfectly healthy. She could tell Vic had had a hard time giving him up, but she ultimately made the difficult, albeit correct choice, and signed him away to Cady.

Cady had asked about the father, and if she was going to run into any difficulties from him in the future, but Vic had already talked to him and had him sign away his rights as well. He had been a one-night stand from out of town and had no interest in having children.

While it was convenient for Cady, it made her sad that someone could be so indifferent towards their own flesh and blood. At least Vic loved the baby and was doing her best to do right by him.

Sighing, Cady sat down in her new rocking chair in her spare bedroom-turned-nursery, and tried not to cry along with him. He was extremely colicky, and it seemed no amount of rocking, singing or bouncing made an ounce of difference. It had been almost a week straight of him eating and crying with very little sleeping in-between.

She was exhausted.

She closed her eyes and rocked him, trying to tune out the crying. She knew his little tummy was hurting him, and she wished she could do something to help ease the discomfort, but this was something he would have to grow out of. She just wished that was sooner rather than later.

Henry had visited once, but he had been extremely uncomfortable with the wiggly, noisy infant. He had little to no experience with them, and watching him hold the baby so awkwardly was both hilarious and a little sad. While he hadn’t been back since, he had texted her a few times to check on her. She never told him how she was actually feeling though, knowing how uncomfortable he was with everything. 

Her father hadn’t even bothered to show up, further cementing the fact that he didn’t support the adoption at all. It still hurt when she thought about it, but he had always been like this, so she wasn’t really all that surprised in the end.

She thought it was pretty sad that Jacob had been more supportive than Walt. He’d told her to take as much time off as she needed, and that she could work from home whenever possible.

She was immensely grateful for that, but overall, it had been a really sucky two weeks.

The baby finally stopped screaming for a moment and Cady allowed herself to relax back into the chair while doing her best not to jostle him. Maybe she would be able to get in a quick nap while he slept.

Just as she crossed over into a deep, dreamless sleep, her doorbell rang. She jerked awake, and as a result, the baby started screaming again. She sighed and stood up with tears in her eyes. She didn’t have the energy to get angry at whoever was at the door. It just took too much effort.

She opened the door to find Jacob on the other side. He winced when the noise of the baby reached his ears, and stepped inside when she wordlessly motioned for him to come inside.

He stepped through and closed the door, then turned to her with a contrite expression. “Cady, I apologize. I tried knocking first, but...”

She shrugged, trying not to be embarrassed by her appearance (of course _he_ looked well put together, wearing a black three-quarter length sleeved t-shirt and dark jeans), and continued to bounce the baby to try to get him to quiet down. “It’s fine, Jacob. It’s nice to see a friendly face.” She attempted to smile, but knew it didn’t work when she saw his look of concern.

“Are you ok?” He took a step towards her, and she quickly turned a little so he wouldn’t see her watery eyes.

A hand on her shoulder turned her back to him. He held out his arms and said, “Let me take him. You look like you could use a break.”

He didn’t know how right he was.

She tried to refuse. “Oh no, it’s-“

“I have a little bit of experience with babies. I won’t drop him, promise.” He smiled a little and again held out his arms.

Deciding it couldn’t hurt (and she really did need a break), she transferred the baby to him. Almost immediately, the baby stopped crying and just stared up at Jacob with wide eyes.

Cady almost cried at the absurdity of it all.

“What in the actual…”, she trailed off and just shook her head as the baby closed his eyes and fell asleep all within thirty seconds.

“Wow, we have a baby whisperer on our hands.” Her laugh sounded forced to her own ears as he raised an eyebrow in surprise. 

“Come on, let’s sit.” She listened to his quiet footsteps as he followed her into the living room and sat down on the love seat across from her.

Before she could say anything, he spoke, “I would ask how you’re doing, but that’s quite evident. Have you had a break at all since the baby was born?” 

She shook her head ‘no’ and sank further into the couch. It was feeling awfully comfortable at the moment and her eyelids felt like ten pounds weights.

“Cady. Cady. Cadyyyy.” 

Her eyes shot open and she winced. “I’m sorry. I’m not great company right now.”

He motioned with his chin towards the bedroom. “Go ahead and take a shower and a nap. We’ll be fine for a couple of hours.”

She sat up with wide eyes. “Oh no, I couldn’t do-“

“Seriously. Go.” He shifted the baby to his shoulder (who miraculously didn’t stir at all), and waved her off with his free hand. “If I need anything, I’ll come get you.”

She hesitated, but the look in his eyes brokered no argument. She stood a little reluctantly. “If you’re sure. He’s due to eat in an hour-“

He cut her off again, “I’ll figure things out. Please Cady, take some time for yourself. I just wish you would have called me or someone else for some help sooner.”

She just shrugged, an apology on the tip of her tongue, but he shooed her away for the second time. His voice stopped her in the doorway to her room. “By the way, what’s the little guy’s name?”

She walked backward and peeked around the corner, “Jack.”

He nodded and whispered against the baby’s soft hair, “Nice to meet you, Jack. I’m Jacob.”

Cady smiled her first genuine smile, surprised at how natural he was with a baby. To her knowledge, he didn’t have any children, but that didn’t mean anything.

She would just have to chalk it up the mystery that was Jacob Nighthorse.

The last sound she heard before she closed her bedroom door was Jacob’s soft voice as he sang what sounded like a Cheyenne song to the slumbering infant.

OOOOOO

Cady opened her eyes to find her bedroom pitch black. Confused, she quickly picked up her phone and saw that it had been over six hours since she’d gone to take a two hour nap.

Something had to be wrong.

Heart pounding, she quickly dressed into some decent (and clean) clothes and went in search of Jacob. She felt immensely better, but couldn’t believe that he had let her sleep so long.

She almost ran into the living room only to find the baby asleep in his portable bassinet and Jacob sound asleep face-down on the couch.

She couldn’t help the butterflies in her stomach at the sight of him in such a domestic setting. If someone would have told her a year ago that she would ever see Jacob like this, she would have laughed and called them crazy.

Cady walked quietly over to the baby to make sure he was breathing. Satisfied, she turned and watched her boss for a moment longer before placing a hand on his shoulder. As much as she wanted to touch his hair, it was inappropriate. 

His eyes flew open at her touch and he squinted up at her, the light from the kitchen bright enough that they could see each other.

He groaned and sat up slowly, and she reluctantly removed her hand. “What time is it?”

“After midnight.” She sat down next to him, close but not touching. “You should have woken me up hours ago, Jacob.” 

He covered a yawn with his hand and stretched his back. “You needed to sleep. We were fine.”

She wanted to argue with him, but knew it would be pointless. “Well, thank you. I feel much better. Was he good for you?”

“He was fine, a little fussy, but nothing I couldn’t handle.” He glanced at his watch and stifled another yawn. “He’s been asleep for over two hours.” 

She nodded and watched as he stood up a little stiffly. “I need to get home, I have early meetings at the casino.”

Cady felt even more guilty, but didn’t apologize. He wouldn’t want to hear it. She stood up and followed him to the door.

He turned with his hand on the doorknob and gave her a small smile. “Goodnight, Cady.” He hesitated for a moment, then continued. “If you need help, please call. I’m serious.”

She nodded, wanting more than anything at that moment to reach forward and hug him. Instead she settled for squeezing his forearm. “I will. Night, Jacob.”

He slipped out into the night without another word. She locked the door and leaned against it, hating herself for wishing he didn’t have to go. She listened for his car to leave, and as soon as she could no longer hear it, she pushed away from the door to find something to eat.

Before she could even take two steps, the baby started to cry. It was like he sensed Jacob was gone.  
She went over to pick him up, and snuggled him on her chest. She kissed his hair and could smell the faint scent of Jacob’s aftershave. It was comforting.

As she walked around to get him to quiet down again, her cell phone rang. Confused as to who would be calling this late, she answered it without looking at the caller ID.

“Hello?”

The only sound on the other end was breathing.

“Who’s there?”

The call ended immediately and she checked the ID to see that it was an ‘unknown’ caller. She was concerned, but maybe it had been a wrong number. Unsurprisingly, she didn’t believe her own rationalization. 

Something didn’t feel right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, and I would love to hear what you think. Remember, this is most definitely AU, but I did my best to keep them in-character as much as possible. ;)
> 
> Oh and the events of season 6 never happened in this fic. (Screw season 6)
> 
> Vic will definitely make an appearance later on..don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten about her.
> 
> Oooh, who called Cady? Dun dun dun.


	3. Chapter 3

“You need to get out of this house, boss.”

Cady turned from making coffee to give Mandy a look of disbelief. “I’m fine, and I can’t exactly take Jack out of the house right now.”

Mandy scoffed. “Why?”

“Because he’s so little and hasn’t had his first set of shots yet.” She handed Mandy a mug and sat down next to her at the kitchen table. The baby was in the other room sleeping at the moment; but he would most likely wake up soon to eat.

“So don’t let anyone touch him and keep him covered.” She shifted in her seat and studied Cady intently. “No offense, but you look like you could use some fresh air.”

Cady sipped her coffee and tried _not_ to be offended. She knew she looked sleep-deprived and ragged, but it just came with the territory. She’d also continued to get phone calls from strange numbers, and while she hadn’t answered any since the first one, she had a feeling they weren’t just telemarketers; It had been causing unnecessary stress and sleeplessness on top of everything else.

If things weren’t so bad between her and her father, she would have mentioned the phone calls to him; but as things stood, she kept them to herself, hoping it was just some dumb teenagers playing a prank on the sheriff’s daughter.

She would make sure to tell Henry the next time she saw him; he would take her concerns seriously and give her some good advice.

When Cady didn’t say anything for a minute or two, Mandy sat back in her chair with a sigh, unaware of her inner turmoil. “Fine, but when you lose your shit, don’t say I didn’t warn you.” She didn’t wait for Cady to answer before pulling her cell phone out of her pocket to check the time. “It’s getting late, I gotta go.” She quickly drank the rest of her coffee, then picked up her purse from where it was sitting on the chair next to her. “Thanks for letting me stop by.”

Cady smiled and stood up, sticking her hands in her back pockets as they walked to the door. “No problem, it was good to see you. I should be back working at the office in a month or so, but feel free to come by anytime before then. It’s nice to talk to another adult.”

Mandy smiled and leaned in to give her a quick hug. “Sure, boss. See you around.”

Cady watched jealously as yet another visitor whisked away carefree into the beautiful evening. It was the end of summer; where the days were beginning to cool and the nights were perfect; it was her favorite time of the year, and she was missing out on it. 

She definitely didn’t regret the adoption, she loved her little boy with all her heart, it was just a bigger adjustment than she had thought it would be.

Taking a deep breath, she tried to ignore the feeling that she was being watched and shut the door.

OOOOOO

“Dude, you have _got_ to get that woman out of her house.”

Henry looked up from where he was pouring Jacob (who had come to talk Malachi “business”) a drink.

“Hello to you too, Mandy…what woman would you be referring to?”

Jacob turned curiously to watch Cady’s secretary approach them in the deserted Red Pony.

Mandy plopped down next to Jacob and said, “Oh stop, who do you think?”

Henry set down the bottle he was holding and shrugged. “I know a lot of women, many who come in here. You are going to have to be more specific.”

The young woman rolled her eyes and muttered what sounded like “men” under her breath. Jacob smirked in amusement. 

“Cady, duh!” She looked back and forth between them, annoyed. “She hasn’t stepped foot out of her house in three weeks. Have either of you even visited her?

Henry nodded, “I have gone to see her once, as has Jacob. I have also texted her almost every day. She tells me she is fine.”

“Of course she does. She doesn’t want to worry you.” Mandy turned in her chair to look at Jacob. “Look, she won’t let me take her anywhere, but she might listen to one of you.” She stood abruptly and hoisted her purse up higher on her shoulder. “Do something about it.” She stared both of them down for a few more seconds, then turned and walked out of the bar without another word.

Jacob turned to Henry with raised eyebrows after the swinging doors stopped moving. “When did she get to be so feisty?”

Henry pulled out his own glass and poured a shot. “I do not know, but it sounds like we have a problem on our hands.”

Jacob finished his drink and checked his watch. “I’ll go see her tomorrow.”

Henry nodded, knowing his day was going to be busy with work duties. “Let me know how it goes.”

“Will do, man.”

OOOOOO

Cady laid the sleeping infant (who had been a lot less fussy this week) in his portable bassinet and went to open the door, surprised to find Jacob standing on her doorstep.

She had managed to put herself together a little better this morning, so she didn’t feel quite as embarrassed as the last time he had shown up unannounced.

“Jacob, hi.” She stepped back and waved him in with a small smile. “What’s up?”

He stepped inside with a nod in greeting and shut the door quietly, mindful of the sleeping baby in the house. He was dressed in his work clothes…this time in a purple dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and a loosened matching tie. “Hey, can we talk?”

Cady tucked a strand of hair behind her ear nervously and nodded, motioning him towards the couch. “Uh..sure.” 

She followed and sat down a couple feet away from him. “Is something wrong?”

He leaned back against the cushions and crossed an ankle over his knee, the picture of relaxation. “Henry and I had an interesting visitor yesterday.”

A feeling of annoyance washed over her…and it wasn’t over what Henry and Jacob were doing together (As far as she knew, they didn’t like each other much, so who knew what that was about), but over the sinking feeling that Mandy had told on her. Ugh.

“Let me guess, Mandy thinks she can get into _my_ business, and recruited you guys to do her dirty work.” She fidgeted with a throw pillow, angrily picking at a loose thread. “And I’m going to tell you what I told her. I’m _fine_.”

Jacob’s leg dropped to the floor as he leaned forward to look at her. “Why is it so hard for you to accept any kind of help?” He paused, but didn’t let her answer before continuing, “Oh wait, it’s because you’re a Longmire.”

She eventually looked up at him with narrowed brows. “Oh please, Jacob. I can accept help when I need it. I’m not like my dad.”

She rolled her eyes at his disbelieving look. “I’m not.”

“Ok, since you’re not like your father, be ready to go to Sheridan with me in thirty minutes. I’ll get the baby ready while you get yourself ready.”

She had a lot of questions (like, first of all, how dare he?), but the challenge in his eyes caused her to clamp her mouth shut. 

Fine.

She would go and get out of the house so they could leave her the hell alone about it. It’s not like she couldn’t leave her house anytime. She _chose_ to stay in, and it had nothing to do with feeling threatened outside of her home. 

It didn’t.

Meddling friends, godfathers, bosses were so annoying.

OOOOOO

Eamonn O’Neill sat tiredly in his patrol car drinking lukewarm coffee from his thermos. Ever since he had returned from working with Sherriff Longmire in Absaroka county, he’d been pulling the shittiest of shifts. He barely knew what day it was these days, let alone any kind of gossip from other counties.

So when he saw Cady Longmire and Jacob Nighthorse walking along Main Street pushing a stroller, and for all intents and purposes looking like a couple, he about had a stroke.

The deputy accidentally inhaled some coffee up his nose and coughed until he could breathe again, sliding low in his seat as the pair approached his parked car. She was laughing at something Jacob was saying, and grabbed his arm as they passed by. Eamonn looked behind him to make sure they hadn’t noticed him sitting there, and quickly pulled out his phone to text Vic.

 **When did Jacob Nighthorse and Cady Longmire get married and have a baby?**

Admittedly, he hadn’t seen a ring, but he wanted to see if the assumption was correct.

Vic’s reply came quickly:

**What in the hell are you smoking today, Eamonn?**

Satisfied that he knew something she didn’t, he smugly replied back:

**Well, they just walked past me here in Sheridan pushing a stroller looking awfully cozy. *shrugs***

He waited for a while for her to answer, but she never did, and he leaned back in his seat feeling a little more invigorated.

It seemed shit was about to hit the fan. He was going to feel badly if Cady came out of this with egg on her face, but he _really_ wanted to get back at Jacob for what he had put him through. 

Sometimes being a little bad felt good.

OOOOOO

Jacob pulled up in front of Cady’s house in the waning sunlight and quietly put the car in park. Both she and the baby were sound asleep, the former snoring quietly with her face pressed into the window. 

He’d enjoyed his time with both of them in Sheridan. The baby had been perfect, and it had been nice to not be recognized or worry about who would see them. He knew Cady had had fun too. 

She had gradually loosened up as they strolled from store to store, and had even started touching his arm and back as they walked (apparently, he was forgiven). He hadn’t minded all that much, although his feelings for her were beginning to get complicated; especially since he was her boss, and he had no idea how she felt about him.

He didn’t want to wake her, but she looked uncomfortable enough that he knew she would have a neck ache if he didn’t. 

“Cady, wake up.”

She mumbled something, but didn’t move. He put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed lightly, rubbing her upper arm with his thumb. “We’re at your house.”

She groaned quietly and slowly stretched her arms in front of her, dislodging his hand in the process. Once she managed to open her eyes, she blinked at him sleepily. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize, you needed the sleep.” He scratched his goatee and glanced back at the baby. “We better get you inside before he wakes up.”

Cady agreed wordlessly, opening the door while he got out and unbuckled the baby seat in the back. When he walked around the car, she reached for the carrier, but he shook his head. “Let me walk you in.”

He could tell she was still half asleep when she didn’t argue, and instead silently walked next to him up the concrete steps to her house. 

As they reached the porch, she stopped abruptly. He stepped up next to her, and a chill swept over him from head to toe when he saw what she was staring at.

On her door, in big, bright blood-red letters, two words were spray-painted:

**YOU’RE NEXT**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, I would love to hear your thoughts! ;)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a big-time struggle for me. It’s simultaneously a transition chapter while also being important to move the story where I want it to be so we can get into the good Jady stuff. This fic isn’t about the case, it’s about Cady and Jacob.

Vic glanced worriedly over at Ferg’s desk for about the twentieth time in the last hour as she waited to hear back from Walt. She and Ferg had been investigating another murder, one of which they suspected the mob was involved in, when he had left to check out a lead; he’d all but ran out the door, yelling over his shoulder that he would be back soon. She hadn’t thought much about it then, but was seriously regretting not questioning him at least a little about where he was going.

Vic had become concerned when hours passed and she hadn’t heard from him and he hadn’t returned; when she called his phone, it went straight to voicemail (it wasn’t like him not to answer his phone). She’d finally called Walt, who told her to stay put while he went looking for the deputy (she was technically still on desk duty); but the longer Ferg went missing, the more worried she became. 

She couldn’t handle losing another friend and co-worker, and although she was probably overreacting, it seemed the mob activity had only been getting worse since what had happened to Ferg all those months ago.

Her phone dinged, breaking her out of her dark thoughts, indicating she had a text. She looked at the screen to see she had a message from Eamonn.

“What the hell?” She mumbled as she read his text. She SO didn’t need this right now. She typed her reply, and when he answered back almost immediately, she just about lost her shit.

No way was Cady bringing _her_ baby around that lawless man, who had no regard for life beyond his own people and self-interests. It didn’t matter if the baby wasn’t technically hers anymore, she still wanted to shake some sense into the sheriff’s daughter.

Damn Cady Longmire and her recklessness.

Vic was *this* close to calling the red head, but before she could follow through, her phone rang. She didn’t recognize the number, but answered in case it was news about Ferg.

It turned out to be Walt on the other end, and it was immediately apparent that she was about to hear some life-altering news. He sounded broken as he relayed that he had found Ferg about a mile from the border of the Rez. His car had been run off the road, and his body found inside with a single gunshot wound to the forehead; **STAY AWAY** had been spray painted across his white charger in bright red letters.

Vic covered her mouth with a fist, as if it could wall off the tide of grief bubbling from the pit of her stomach; it would only a matter of time before she wouldn’t be able to hold it back anymore. 

Walt instructed her to meet him so they could go over Ferg’s car, and she quickly hung up before she started blubbering over the phone. Steeling herself, she grabbed her coat from the coat rack and raced out of the office. There would be time for grief later. Right now she had a job to do, and she would do it well. 

She was going to catch the son of a bitch who had done this.

OOOOOO

Across town, Cady stared slack-jawed at the words on her door. She stood frozen in shock for what seemed like hours, when movement out of the corner of her eye broke her out of her trance. She turned to see Jacob whip a handgun from seemingly out of nowhere.

“Jacob-“, she started, but he shook his head forcefully and motioned for her to go and get to safety. If she hadn’t had the baby, she would have argued, but instead she nodded and hustled back down the cement steps and into Jacob’s car. 

Cady immediately locked the doors then strained her neck to see the top of Jacob’s head as he approached the house. When she could no longer see him, she pulled out her phone to call her dad. She knew he would have a cow if she didn’t tell him what was going on.

She pulled up Ferg’s number first, but it went straight to voicemail (she really wished Walt would get a damn cellphone). Before she could call Vic, there was a quiet tap on her window. She jumped, startled, and Jacob gave her an apologetic look as she unlocked the door for him. 

He pulled it open and crouched down next to her with a grimace, his gun no longer visible. “There’s no one in the house, but it’s trashed. I’m sorry, Cady.”

She closed her eyes. Why would someone be coming after her now? What had changed? 

“I need to call my dad,” she mumbled, and dialed Vic’s number before he could answer. It rang five or six times before it was finally picked up.

“Cady.” It was her father who answered, and she could tell that something was terribly wrong.

“Dad, what’s wrong?” She tucked her hair behind her ear with shaking fingers, her stomach roiling unpleasantly. 

It took him a few seconds to answer, as if he was trying to find a way to somehow soften the blow. When he finally told her, it felt like a gut-punch. “Ferg’s dead.”

Tears spilled onto her cheeks as she listened to him explain what had happened. She glanced at Jacob a few times and could tell he was concerned as he continued to crouch next to her in silent support. 

Once her father ran out of words, she took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “Dad, someone trashed my house while I was out of town.”

“Are you still there?” 

She nodded even though he couldn’t see. “Yes. Jacob is here though, and he’s already gone through the house. Whoever did this didn’t hang around.”

“Well, you’ll have to forgive me if I don’t trust Jacob. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if he was the one behind all of this in the first place.” He didn’t give her a chance to respond as he continued, “Stay put, I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

He hung up before she could answer, and by the time she pulled her phone away from her ear, she was furious. How dare he accuse Jacob of this? What the hell was his problem? 

A light squeeze to her thigh disturbed her internal ranting and she looked over to see Jacob with an ironic smile on his face. “The good sheriff thinks I’m behind this, eh? What a shock.”

She wiped her face free of tears and sniffed loudly. “It doesn’t matter. Ferg’s dead.”

The smile immediately dropped from his face. “What happened?”

She explained to him as quickly as possible, trying not to think about the gruesome details, or that her friend was dead. It hurt too much.

When she was done, tears were again streaming down her cheeks. She couldn’t stop them, no matter how hard she tried. As she wiped at her face angrily, strong arms wrapped around her and pulled her into his chest; she went willingly and sobbed into his shoulder. He held her tightly, but didn’t say anything, knowing words wouldn’t bring the comfort she was seeking. After a few minutes she managed to pull herself back together, but didn’t want to leave the warm embrace. Eventually she moved away with a sheepish look on her face, her eyelids puffy and her nose stuffed from crying. “Sorry about your shirt.” 

He glanced at his shoulder and shrugged. “It’s fine. Look Cady-“

Before he could finish, her father’s Bronco came speeding around the corner and skidded to a stop in front of her house, spraying gravel onto Jacob’s car. Walt stepped out and almost sprinted towards where they were sitting. Jacob stood to face Walt with his palms up in a placating manner. 

Walt obviously didn’t care as he grabbed Jacob by the shoulders and shook him. “I know you have something to do with this! You son of a bitch! Not only do you have to go after my deputy, but my daughter too?!” He pulled back a fist to punch Jacob, but Cady finally managed to get out of the car and push her dad back as best she could. His fist narrowly missed Jacob’s face and hit air instead.

“Dad, STOP!” She continued to push him back until he released Jacob. She poked a finger into his chest angrily. “Jacob had nothing to do with this. We were in Sheridan for hours. He wasn’t anywhere near here or the reservation!”

Walt continued to stare down Jacob angrily. “Doesn’t mean he didn’t hire someone.”

Cady threw up her hands in exasperation and stepped closer to him so the man standing behind them couldn’t hear what she was about to say.“Your single-minded obsession with accusing Jacob of things he didn’t do is getting _really_ old. You need to accept the possibility that someone else did this and do your damn job.” His mouth opened and closed a few times in surprise, apparently at a loss for what to say.

Satisfied that he wasn’t going to attack Jacob again, she turned to find said man taking the baby out of the carrier; she hadn’t even heard him crying. She hurried over to take him, apologizing for both her father and her inattentiveness.

He handed the baby and the car seat over and shook his head. “You were a little busy.” He glanced over her shoulder at her father. “I think it’s time for me to go now that he’s here to do his ‘sherrifly’ duties.” His tone was mocking, but she didn’t blame him. After the baby was secure in her arms, he looked at her closely and said, “If you and Jack need a place to stay, come to my house. Call me later if you need me to come and get you.”

She nodded, not quite sure what she was going to do, but knew her father would be furious if she stayed anywhere but at his cabin. Frankly, she would rather stay with Jacob, but that probably wasn’t a good idea; especially when their relationship was so undefined. “I’ll let you know.” 

He ran a finger down the side of the baby’s face in goodbye, then moved around her and approached her father. She couldn’t hear what was being said, and her father’s expression never changed, but she imagined it was a warning of some sort. After a few moments, he turned and walked back to his car, his shoulders stiff with anger. She hurried over before he could get in, placing a hand on his arm to stop him. “Be safe, Jacob.”

He clenched his jaw and nodded before getting in and driving off without another word. She watched his car until it was out of sight, then turned to look at her dad. ”I’m so angry with you right now.”

He walked over and picked up his hat, which had fallen off during the scuffle, and put it back on his head. “If it means that you have to be mad at me in order for me to protect you, then so be it.” He turned and made his way up the steps to her house, ignoring her angry glare.

She put the now sleeping baby back in his car seat and followed him up the steps. She found him staring at the door. “Why didn’t you tell me about this, Cady?”

She set the carrier down and folded her arms across her chest. “I don’t know, maybe because you hung up on me before I could explain everything?” She couldn’t believe how much of an ass he was being.

He held out his hand without looking at her. “I need to borrow your phone.”

She reluctantly handed it to him and listened as he talked to Vic on the other end. He told her about finding the same writing on Cady’s door, and that he was going to take her to his cabin tonight and they could process her house in the morning. Walt warned Vic to watch her back and be careful, then hung up and handed the phone back to Cady; his eyes tight with worry. “Go ahead and get in the Bronco, I’ll be right behind you.”

She tried not to be annoyed by his overprotectiveness (after all, she’d just had her life threatened). She was tired and not in the mood to bicker with him any longer, so she picked up the baby and nodded. “Fine.”

As she made her way back down the concrete steps, she prayed that they would find whoever was behind this soon. She didn’t want to spend the rest of her life with her father hovering over her. She was terrified that someone could be waiting for her wherever she went. Even now, walking alone, she felt like she was being watched.

She probably was.

Cady was worried not only for her own safety, but for everyone else she associated with as well. Why were they going after her? Was it the mob behind this or someone else? Would she even be safe at her father’s cabin?

Were Jacob and Henry next? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know nothing about WITSEC, so I apologize if something is inaccurate. Like I said, this story is about Jacob and Cady being married (!!), not about Walt finding Ferg’s killer. (Sorry Ferg)
> 
> That said, thanks so much for reading! I’d love to hear your thoughts. :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just the second part of chapter 4 that I split in half to get the fic to move up in the queue. Enjoy! Chapters 4 and 5 are new. :)

Jacob trudged into his house feeling emotionally exhausted, but not sleepy. Confrontation with Walt Longmire seemed to do that to him these days, and he was sick of it.

He was also worried about Cady, and Walt’s ability to protect her. 

If he had his choice, he would definitely have Cady stay with him, but she wasn’t ready to betray her father; even though Jacob was the one with the bodyguards.

He sighed and changed from his work clothes into a thin t-shirt and sweatpants. It seemed like days ago that he’d gotten dressed and ready for work that morning; a testament to how stressed he was.

He didn’t know what Walt planned to do about the threat to Cady’s life, and he wondered how safe any of them were if the Irish Mob was running around town killing people who were associated with the sheriff. He was half-tempted to call the FBI himself and demand Cady be taken into protective custody at the very least.

Jacob grabbed a bottle of water from his mini fridge and stared out the large window in his bedroom. The moonlight bathed his property brightly enough that he could see to the edges. Nothing moved, save for the trees and grass swaying in the light breeze. 

Around one a.m., he eventually made his way to bed, still not tired enough to sleep, but knowing that if he didn’t at least try, he would be a zombie the next morning.

Just as he was on the cusp of sleep, a noise outside his door woke him up. He quickly grabbed his gun from where it was sitting on the nightstand and quietly slid off the opposite side of the bed, waiting for whoever was about to come through his door.

He tried to slow his breathing as his heart tried to beat itself out of his chest. The door handle turned (which had a loud squeak that he’d been meaning to fix for weeks) and the door was slowly pushed open. He gripped his gun a little tighter, his palms slick with sweat, and stared at the black outline moving slowly across his bedroom; the moonlight helping him track the intruder. 

Just as the person reached the other side of his bed, Jacob stood with his gun trained on him and yelled, “Don’t move!”

The black form didn’t hesitate as they raised their gun, and very obviously intended to shoot Jacob. Jacob shot twice in succession without hesitation, grunting when a bullet from the intruder grazed his arm. The person went down with a loud thud, and Jacob cautiously went around the bed with his gun still drawn to find that the person (a male, now that he could see him closer) was very much dead; eyes glassy and unseeing. Jacob had managed to shoot him square between the eyes

Wiping the sweat from his brow, he stepped over the body to turn on the lamp by his bed. He needed to call Mathias and get him over to his house as soon as possible. There may be more coming, and if there were more than one lurking around at the moment, he was probably as good as dead.

He dug a handkerchief out of his bedside table and pressed it to the wound on his left arm. It didn’t look as bad as it felt, although it would probably still need stitches; he felt lucky that it hadn’t been worse.

He called Mathias, who told him he would be there soon, but that he was going to call Walt as well. Jacob didn’t have time to tell him not to before he hung up. If Walt came, who would protect Cady?

Deciding to be proactive, he called the sheriff (who answered the phone gruffly after about fifteen rings). Jacob told him what had happened while pacing around his room with the phone pressed against his ear, feeling like there was a target on his back, and wishing he was somewhere that was a little more enclosed. 

“If you come here, who will protect Cady?”

He almost smiled at Walt’s annoyed sigh.

“I’ll get Vic to come over to my place, then I’ll come to yours. I’ll be there within the hour.” He hung up without another word.

Jacob ran a hand tiredly through his hair and over his bristly face; suddenly feeling about ten years older.

He placed a call to the man in charge of his personal security, who reported that he couldn’t get ahold of two of his detail. Jacob told him what had happened, and that he suspected his men were dead. The man promised to close ranks and protect Jacob as best they could until the police arrived.

It didn’t make him feel much better.

Another twenty long, nerve-wracking minutes passed until Mathias showed up with two deputies in tow. Jacob explained again what happened as Mathias had his men scout his property and house for any remaining threats. 

They returned fifteen minutes later and reported that they found the two bodies of the security guards, but nothing else, and Jacob finally let his guard down just a little.

Walt finally showed up at around three-thirty in the morning looking half-asleep and stressed. Jacob let Mathias explain the details, and stood there silently as he watched the sheriff’s eyebrows narrow and his shoulders stiffen. 

He might not say so, but he was just as worried as Jacob was about what was happening.

OOOOOO

Hours later found Jacob, Henry, Walt, Vic, Cady, Jack, Mathias, and three FBI agents at the Sheriff’s office. After much deliberation, they had decided to bring in the FBI to help with the investigation, and to help protect those in the most danger while others went over the evidence from all three crime-scene locations. 

After all said and done, they came up with very little to go by. Walt and Mathias were confident that the mob was behind it all, but they couldn’t be 100% sure. They didn’t know much beyond that.

As a result, they were all tired and frustrated. Cady sat in a corner and rocked the fussy baby in her arms as Jacob stood close by. She could tell his now stitched up bullet wound was bothering him, but he was uncharacteristically quiet. He hadn’t had a chance to change out of the clothes he’d slept in, and hadn’t shaved either; it was an odd sight, but not all together unpleasant.

Walt approached her with a stoic look on his face. “I’m having the FBI put you in WITSEC until we can catch whoever is behind this.”

She blinked. Too surprised to even be angry. “No, I can’t just uproot everything and leave. I have a life here and an important job.”

Walt shook his head, “I don’t care, Cady. Your life and your son’s life are at stake. You don’t have a choice. Would you rather I put you in protective custody? It could take _months_.”

Cady stood and approached him, shifting the baby to her shoulder. “I can’t do it, Dad. I can’t just-“

Jacob stepped closer and interrupted her. “What if I go with her?”

Walt’s eyes narrowed in anger. “Like hell you will. I want you and your special brand of trouble far away from my daughter. You’re the reason the mob is here in the first place!” His voice had gotten louder and louder until everyone stopped to watch their exchange.

Jacob rolled his eyes and lowered his voice so the others couldn’t hear. “You think I don’t feel responsible? That I want your daughter to be in any more danger than she already is? I can help protect her.”

Cady finally caught on to what they were saying and nodded. “I would rather someone I know come with me, Dad. I don’t want to be alone.” If she didn’t have a choice about going, then she should have a choice who went with her. Jacob’s life was in danger too.

Walt looked at her, exasperated. “Cady-“

“No. This isn’t up for discussion.” She waved at the lead FBI agent to come over. 

“Agent Hall, if I go into WITSEC, can I bring Jacob with me?”

Hall shook his head. “Only family members can go together, sorry.”

Cady glanced at Jacob, an idea forming in her head. Probably a very bad idea. “So if we were married, he could come with me?”

He cleared his throat uncomfortably and avoided looking at Walt. “Yes, ma’am. If you were husband and wife, we could place you together.”

The sheriff looked like an overripe tomato as veins began popping out of his forehead. There was about to be an explosion, and she needed to diffuse it.

“Dad, breathe.” 

She turned and grabbed Jacob’s uninjured arm, pulling him away from the other two so she could talk to him privately. “I’m sorry, Jacob, I should’ve talked to you about this before bringing it up.”

He looked over his shoulder to see Walt looming over the poor FBI agent, his face still bright red. It was almost comical. Almost. “Are you sure you want to go against your father’s wishes here? I don’t have a problem with it because I feel partially responsible for this mess, but have you really thought this through?”

She shrugged tiredly. “Not really, but I need someone with me who I can trust. That’s you. If my dad can’t see that, then that’s his problem. It’s not his decision.”

“Then I’m ok with it.” He gave her a sad smile. “I doubt your father envisioned you marrying his arch nemesis out of convenience and against his wishes, but….” He shrugged, wincing when it pulled at his stitches.

He knew his ever growing feelings for the red head might cause some issues down the line, but he was doing this solely to protect her. He had no desire to hurt her. He doubted she saw him as more than a friend and boss anyway.

He held out his arms. “Let me take the baby while you go talk to your father.” She gave him a small smile and handed Jack over without hesitation, then watched as she approached her still furious father.

He didn’t know what was going to happen, and he wouldn’t pretend to know what the future held for them; but he knew damn well he would rather die than let Cady and Jack be harmed because of his own stupid, desperate for money mistakes.

If only Walt could try to understand that.


End file.
